1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for processing bank notes, in which bank notes coming from different deposits are successively processed.
2. Related Art
When handling a large number of bank notes from various deposits by means of a bank note processing machine, there arises the problem that not always all bank notes can be automatically processed by the bank note processing machine and assigned to the respective deposit, because for example bank notes are not recognized or it comes to other processing problems in the bank note processing machine, e.g. double or multiple picks upon the singling of the bank notes to be processed, which impede the automatic processing, i.e. unequivocal identification and evaluation. The resulting bank notes require a manual post-processing which usually is very elaborate. In addition, during the post-processing it must be ensured that these bank notes are always assigned to that deposit from which they originally come from, so that a correct accounting of the individual deposits can be effected.
From U.S. RE38663 E it is for example known to separate various deposits, each having several bank notes, by means of separator cards. The separator cards are inserted between the various deposits in order to separate these. The separator cards here can be arranged at the beginning, at the end or at the beginning and at the end of the group of bank notes forming the respective deposit. The separator cards may contain information items for example about the depositor and/or about the deposit. Furthermore, the separator cards are configured such that upon processing they are automatically recognized by the bank note processing machine. If a separator card is recognized, the bank note processing machine can record the recognized bank notes for the assigned deposit or for the corresponding depositor and credit an account therewith. Bank notes which could not be recognized upon the automatic processing with the bank note processing machine or do not meet specified criteria, however, cannot be accounted, so that they are rejected and together with the respective separator card are stored in an output unit. When post-processing these bank notes, it is possible to assign the respective bank notes to the associated deposit by means of the information items of the respective separator card.
With this procedure there may arise a great effort in post-processing the rejected bank notes, if a large number of bank notes cannot be automatically recognized and accounted.
In DE 100 30 227 A1 it was therefore proposed that the rejected bank notes are further divided into groups, whereby at least the bank notes of one of these groups can be recognized in principle upon the processing in the bank note processing machine, so that these bank notes can be at least provisionally accounted and credited to the depositor. Bank notes recognized in principle can be forgeries, bank notes suspected to be forgeries or bank notes which have a wrong position, i.e. which, for example, do not lie with their front facing upwards, as desired, but with their back. That is, bank notes for which the currency and face value could be recognized, so that at least a provisional accounting can be effected. It is additionally proposed to store unequivocal features of the bank notes recognized in principle, for example, their serial numbers, in order to make it possible for the bank notes to be assigned later to the respective deposit on the basis of the unequivocal features.
The solution proposed in DE 100 30 227 A1, however, has turned out to be problematic, because the in-principle recognition of the bank notes necessary therefor, i.e. the recognition of currency and face value, makes relatively high demands, so that only a certain portion of the rejected bank notes of the group of bank notes recognized in principle can be assigned, which at least can be provisionally accounted.